SN confirmed an earlier report by MMAJunkie that said the layoffs would include four top UFC executives: Garry Cook, chief global brand officer and head of international business development; Marshall Zelaznik, chief content officer; Ken Berger, executive vice president/general manager, Asia; and Jamie Pollack, senior vice president of global content.

A UFC official told SN the layoffs were ocurring but wouldn't say exactly how many people were let go.

The UFC employed between 350 and 400 people prior to the layoffs.

The same sources and the UFC official said the mood at UFC headquarters was "very bad."

Steven Muehlhausen is an MMA and boxing writer and contributor for Sporting News. You can find his podcast, "The Fight Club Chicago," and subscribe, on iTunes. You can email him at stevemuehlhausen@yahoo.com and can find him on Twitter @SMuehlhausenMMA.